Freedom at a cost
by HellsAngel44
Summary: My First Fan fic. MutantX crossover with Dark Angel exept no real Dark Angel characters like Max. Sorry. Only my own OC. About a transgenic trying to live a normal life. Then she has a run in with MutantX. Better than it sound I promise. R&R Pls.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I opened my eyes cautiously, hoping that no one was in the room where I was tied to a chair. I couldn't hear anyone but they had drugged me up good, so I wasn't up to my normal super soldier self although if I was out of this chair I could properly be out of the room before they even know I was gone. I took in my surroundings. There wasn't much to see, gray blank walls, no windows and the only light there was in the room was trickling in from the smallest gap under the steel door. My night vision kicked in and looked for a camera or any sight of a person. Nothing, which was strange. They have a 14 year old locked up to a chair in an empty room and there was no one in the room. Not even watching if I was to try to escape. My mind was racing for ideas on why they would have kidnapped me. '_To turn me over to Lydecker and get a large pay out'_, but then they would of known that I was not like other 14 year old girls. I was made in a lab and was able to withstand large amounts of drugs, and torture. If they knew this, then they would of brought more men for back-up for my capture and wouldn't of been so surprised that I could take out 3 of their team before they even noticed that I knew they were following me.

**Flashback:**

I was on my way back to my foster parents house from getting some supplies. It was two blocks from the store that I noticed that one of the guys I saw in the shop was following me on the other side of the street. I put my supplies down and knelt as if I was tying my shoe. I peered under my arm to get a better look at him. He had stopped and lent against a wall. I zoomed in on him with my enhanced eyes and saw that he had a barely visible microphone in his ear, which looked high tech, but he didn't look like one of Lydecker's men. I looked ahead of me. The park was too far ahead of me and that I could go through the park to try to lose him and whoever else was following me. I picked up my bags and started walking to the park. Once I reached it there was no one in the park but some guy reading a paper. I took a closer look and saw that he also had a mic. I took a glance behind me and the guy that was following was catching up, but it wasn't just him now. He also had a buddy with him. I heard movement ahead of me and the newspaper guy had got up and pulled a tranquilizer gun from his coat taking aim at me. I quickly dodged two-tranq dart and ran towards him. I swung a bag of supplies at him; he was distracted for the second so I followed through with an uppercut to the chin and a knee to the abdomen. He took it hard and fell to the ground out cold.

I dropped the other bags and turned to the other two guys that had just entered the park. They both raised their tranquilizer guns and fired. I dodged two darts but hit in the arm by one I didn't see. I pulled it out and ran towards them at inhuman speed. I reached them while they were dazed at what happened and smacked their heads together. That was always one of my favorite attack moves. They both crumpled to the ground out cold like their newspaper buddy. Then out of nowhere a dart hit me in the chest. I quickly pulled it out before I got the full dosage. I quickly moved towards the source, a parked car across the road with a guy holding a tranq gun. They obviously didn't want me dead. Yet. I thought. He aimed and fired again. I ducked in the middle of the road. While I was down he fired again and hit me twice, once in the leg and the other to the stomach. A normal human being would be down and out by the first dart but that wasn't me. I wasn't normal. A white van screeched around the corner while I was trying to get up. It stopped right in front of me and five guys dressed in black piled out of the van and surrounded me before I could even stand. When I finally stood woozily, one of the guys punched me to the stomach. I doubled over but didn't fall. He took another swing, which I blocked and kicked him to the head. He fell back shocked that I could pack such a wallop. A guy behind me kicked me in the knees that brought me down. Now they all joined in kicking and punching until I laid still. I looked up with glaring eyes before one brought their gun down on my head and I blacked out.

**End Flashback:**

I tugged at the ropes that had my hands tied tight behind my back and secured to the wooden chair. I stopped and snapped my head up at movement behind the door. I heard voices that were muffled even to my hypersensitive ears. '_Damn drugs'_ I thought. The handle on the door turned and the door opened which let white light pour in blinding me instantly as it hit my eyes.

I slowly opened my eyes letting them adjust. There stood in the door way a very short and ugly man looking at me with a smug smile on his face. It looked as if he hardly ever smiled, as it didn't suit his face and balding head. I let out a laugh. He looked like an elf. His smiled faded and was replaced with an angry glare which made me even laugh harder. I wasn't scared at all knowing that they had no idea who I was and what I was.

"Shouldn't I be the one laughing?" He said in a really deep voice that did not suit his body at all. My chair nearly fell over from my laughing spurt.

"You would if you looked in the mirror." I said during my fit of laughter. He signaled to the guard and pointed at me. The tall and well-built guard walked over to me and backhanded me in the face. My laughing fit stopped but when I looked at him I wore a smile from ear to ear.

"What, didn't want to get your little hands dirty?" I asked through my smirk. The guard hit me again but this time to my abdomen.

"What is your name?" The elf asked.

"I thought you would of done some homework before you kidnapped me or is your intelligence the same size as you" I said grinning again. I was once again hit in the abdomen and then again to the back of my neck.

"Your foster father didn't tell me. Just told me where I could find you and how much money he wanted for the info. Now, I will ask again. What is your name?" He said now with a smile.

"Ima" I replied. I knew that my foster father was an abusive, drunken jerk. I just didn't know he stoop this low for money. I mean he was giving away his punching bag. Then again, he would do anything for a beer.

"Ima what?" Elfy asked.

"Ima gonna kick your ass" I replied. The bodyguard came towards me as I suspected. When he was close enough I kicked out my leg and swooped it under him. He fell back on the hard ground with a thud. I flipped my chair over and landed my seated self-ontop of his chest. I pressed my foot on his throat and kicked him in the head with my other foot. I heard a lot of commotion coming from outside the door but it was distant. I knew I didn't have a lot of time before I would be pinned down with Elfys guards. I looked up just in time to see Elfy close the door. '_Great, can't make it simple for a girl now can he'_ I thought. I pulled up on my ropes with inhuman strength and I heard a satisfying Crack of the chair rail snap. The wooded chair that was holding me held me no more. I stood and jumped and swung my hands under my legs. My hands were now at the front of body. I pulled at the knots of the ropes with my teeth. With little time and little effort, my bound hands were now free. I went over to the door and pulled with all my strength. It wouldn't budge. Again and again I tried. Well, they got one thing right. They put a lock on the door. I listened as hard as I could. Running footsteps, yelling voices and gunshots filled my ears. I backed away from the door hearing someone approaching. I heard the click of the lock and the turning of the doorknob. It swung open to a guard in full black gear. I gave him a smile.

"Thanks" I said with the cutest smile I could give and then with a punch to the stomach, a knee to the groin, a chop to the back of the neck and a flip over him I was out the door. I stood in the long hallway looking from one end to the other. To the right held stairs descending and no other doors to escape to. To the left was what looked to be the main area of a warehouse where the commotion was going on. '_Maybe the alarm was not raised about me, maybe something else is going on'_, I thought. I decided to turn left and try to get out through the scuffufle that was going on unnoticed. I ran to the end of the hallway and into the shed like area where a fight was being held.

I quickly ducked behind some creates before anyone noticed I was there. I peeked out and saw the all black dressed guys that had kidnapped me fighting four people. '_Who where these new guys' _I wondered. One of the new guys formed lightning in his hand and shot it at a group of all blacks. The all blacks were flung into the air and sent flying into the crates that I was hiding behind. I moved out into the open before they crash landed. There were only three all blacks left which the new comers were fighting off. Then my eyes caught something. Behind all the fighting I spotted Elfy getting into a car. I zoomed my eyes in and caught the number plate. _'GOV-145'_ it read. Another lightning blast bought me out of my daze when it hit some petrol drums in the middle of the room. It exploded and everyone went flying including me. I went superman-flying style into a wall and thumped to the floor.

I sat quickly and a sudden dizzy spell erupted making me feel nauseous. I closed my eyes and then reopened them. I felt a stinging sensation coming from my abdo and back. Although I could not see it I knew I was bleeding from my back. I pulled up my shirt to show large gashes along my abdo area that was bleeding. '_Great_' I thought. I put my shirt down and struggle to stand up. Then someone grabs my arm. I quickly react by pulling away and look at who had grabbed me. There, in front of me stood a pretty red haired woman who I saw earlier fighting the Black guys.

"It's OK, I'm not going to hurt you," she said. She held out her hand. I was about to grab hold when another explosion erupted. The blast wasn't as powerful as the last but the flames grew cutting us off from the other side of the warehouse.

"We have to get out of here. This place is about to go up", she yelled over the sound of the raging fire. There were no windows to climb through and no doors to exit to. I grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway to the descending stairs I had spotted before. She got my gist and we ran with all our life down the stairs. At the bottom there was another hallway and at the end of the hallway was a door. We heard another explosion behind us that was huge. I could hear the fire blast chasing us down the hallway. I reached the door first and pushed it open. I got behind the door ready to shut it as soon as the red haired woman was through. Another explosion sent her flying into the room and into some wooden crates. I shut the door quickly and went to her aid. Her flying act into the crates had hurt her badly but she tried to hide it. I could smell the blood even though I could not see it. I spotted a small window above us. '_We must be in the basement_'I thought. I stepped on some crates and pushed the window open. I helped the woman get up and out the window before the room started to burn up with flames. We ran down the alleyway until I saw her collapse in a heap.

I heard sirens in the distance and knew I had to get out of there but I couldn't just leave her there. I looked around and found and old trolley and some boxes. I sat her up ready to lift her when I heard a slight cling noise. I looked down to see a small silver ring. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. '_I'll give it back to her when she wakes up_' I thought. I gently picked her up and put her in the trolley. This would have been impossible for any other 14 year old but it was as if I was picking up a bag feathers. Inhuman strength can come in handy sometimes. I took my jacket off and put it over her. I put some boxes over her to try and not look too obvious that I was wheeling an unconscious woman in a trolley. I looked around at my surroundings and recognized where I was. I wasn't even 5 blocks from the park where Elfy's minions kidnapped me. That meant I was only a few blocks from the abandoned apartment building where I had set up a room just in case if I got found by Manticore.


	2. Chapter 2

Many thanks to Tunder28 for your review. I put this chapter up for your reading as well as for everyone else. Hope you like it. Please read and review. Any review is acceptable to me. Thanks. 

**Chapter 2**

It took no more than 15mins to take the back alleyways to the apartment building but by then it was dark outside. I hooked up the power to the elevator and wheeled the trolley in. I got off at floor number 6 and wheeled her out and into the hall. I then went back and put a plank of wood in between the elevator doors to keep anyone else from using it and a quick escape if I needed. I opened the door labeled 'UTILITIES' and wheeled her in and shut the door. It wasn't really a utilities closet but a well-established apartment.

The apartment had everything I needed to survive on my own. A bed and side table which I picked up at a bargain price at a garage sale, Bathroom with toilet, shower and basin, kitchen, a very small bar fridge which I picked up in an alleyway that I fixed up and is now working perfectly, a T.V which someone had put out on their front lawn, a card table and two odd chairs which my foster parents were getting rid of, running water and power. This apartment was really the only apartment in the whole building that could be lived in. Lucky I scored it first.

I laid some towels down on the bed and lifted the woman out of the trolley and onto the bed. I grabbed two bowls and poured water in one and alcohol in the other. I grabbed the first aid kit from the bathroom and sat down next to the woman. Now that I looked more closely the woman only looked about 23. I lifted her shirt and dipped the towel in water and wiped away the blood from the gash on her stomach. Then grabbed another towel and dipped it in the alcohol and wiped the wounded area. Back at Manticore, I was taught how to aid the injured. It has come in handy a few times as my foster father would beat me pretty bad.

After tending to her stomach gash I did the same to her cut on her forehead. I checked her pulse and bandaged her stomach cut. She was still unconscious, most likely from the blood loss and bump on the head. After she was all tended to I fixed myself up. I had a few gashes on my stomach and back, a few bruises here and there and a cut above my right eye. After going through the same process that I had done with the mystery woman and a few stitches for the deeper cuts I decided to grab a bite to eat.

After a long night of reading two books, a bit of T.V watching and an hours sleep, which is only every so often because I have shark DNA that keeps me awake most nights, the woman was still not awake. I had had breakfast at about 6am and was about to change clothing when I felt the early tremor signs of a seizure coming on. I grabbed the bottle of tryptophan out of the bathroom cabinet and sat against the living room wall, trying to get the childproof cap off the bottle. Finally before too much of the shaking started, I opened the bottle, spilling pills across the living room. I grabbed a few and chucked them in my mouth, bringing my knees up to my chest and hands around them keeping them in tight. The seizure came on strong before the tryptophan had time to work. Then the flashbacks started.

**Flashback:**

I was 9 at the time, the time when my whole life changed. I was running through the forest barefoot in a thin gray nightgown that didn't do a thing from protecting me against the frost of the winter snow. But the cold didn't affect me at the moment. I had pushed it from my mind and only focused at the mission at hand. Escaping Manticore. Escaping from my childhood hellhole. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure my brother was still with me. Sure enough he was hot on my heels. We got to the perimeter fence and jumped up onto it scaling our way up and over. I could hear the choppers and the snowmobiles getting closer looking for us. We didn't stop to hide or turn and fight, we just kept running. I think that was a mistake now because what happened next would never stop haunting me for the rest of my life. They were closing in on us, I could hear them and smell them. Then they started shooting. I felt them whirl right past me but none hit me. My brother wasn't so lucky. I knew once he fell he had been shot. I turned around and attacked the soldiers. They were all unconscious or dead within seconds but I didn't stop to look. I ran to my older brother, my protector, my best friend. He lay limp in my arms staring at me with wide eyes. Then he smiled.

"I'm free", he said

"Please get up, we have to go. They're coming", I said with tears in my eyes.

"Don't worry, the blue lady will protect me. I'm dying free. I love you sis. I love you Faith", he said. He then pulled off his dog tags and put them in my hand and closed my fingers around them.

"Now go", he said with pleading eyes.

"I won't leave you, I will fight them off", I said with tears streaming down my face.

"Leave me, I will be fine. Now go," he said, "Never forget me". With that he closed his eyes and took his last breath. I didn't want to leave him there but the soldiers were coming and I didn't want to go back. I stood up with his dog tags in my hands.

"I love you Conner. I will never forget you," I said. Taking one last look at my fallen brother, I then turned and took of running.

**End Flashback:**

The seizure subsided with the tryptophan finally taking affect. I have always hated getting the seizures. But I wouldn't just get the shakes I would get pain with it and the flashbacks. Sometimes they would be in snippets with bits and pieces of my memory or they would be a whole memory. I sat up slowly. With only a few tremors left I collected up the spilt pills and put them back in the cupboard. I splashed water on my face to cool me off and felt the familiar wetness on my stomach. With all the shaking I had busted a stitch. I fixed myself up and went to check on my guests' injuries. As I was making sure her stomach wound wasn't infected she started to awaken. Her eyes shot open when she felt me applying her bandage.

"It's OK. I'm just changing your bandage. Do you remember what happened?" I asked her showing her my hands to show her that I wasn't a threat.

"Ah, the building exploded." She said taking in her surroundings. "Where am I?"

"Your in my apartment. You were injured and unconscious so I brought you back here." I said.

"You're the kid from the building, yes?" she asked. I nodded.

"I've been wondering why you were there, what is your name?" I asked wanting to finally know who she was.

"I was there with my teammates to go and find out what those guys were doing. We heard they had a newly acquired secret weapon, and we went in to put a stop to their plans. Although we never found the weapon, I'm sure it's in ashes now. As for my name, it's Emma deLauro. Now for my question, what were you doing there and what is your name?" she said.

"My name is Jay and I had a run in with the guys." I replied, not knowing how much I should really tell her.

"Can I get you something to drink and eat? You've been out for almost a whole day." I said trying to change the subject.

"Sure, that would be great. Could I please use your bathroom?" Emma asked with desperate eyes. I smiled and nodded and pointed to the bathroom.

"Oh before I forget this is yours. It fell off when I picked you up." I said smiling.

"Thanks" she said gratefully and headed for the bathroom. I turned and headed for the kitchen to prepare a meal for Emma and a big glass of milk for me. I heard the taps running in the bathroom but didn't think it was anything unusual, but in fact it was.

**Meanwhile in the Bathroom:**

Emma entered the bathroom and closed the door. She put her ring on which glowed to life. She turned the sink tap on and then activated her ring.

"Adam, Shal, anybody there?" she said with the ring at her mouth.

"Emma, is that you. We've been so worried we thought you were dead when the building exploded. Are you OK?" Came Adams' voice from her comm-ring.

"I'm OK. There was a young girl in the warehouse that was trapped on my side of the fire. We escaped just before the whole building went up." she said and then continued on. "I was hurt and fell unconscious but the girl from the warehouse took me to her apartment where she fixed me up."

"Are you sure your OK? Brennan, Shalimar and Jesse are on the way to pick you up now." Adam said.

"I'm OK just a little sore. The thing is, the girl from the warehouse said she was there because she had a run in with them. I think there is more to it than that. I am going to talk to her and see what she knows before the gang get here." Emma stated.

"OK but you won't have long, they'll be there in about 15 minutes. Maybe you can bring the girl back here where we can find out more of what happened." Adam replied.

"OK then. Thanks. I'll see you when we get back." Emma said. With that she deactivated her comm. ring, turned off the tap and went to talk to Jay.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thankyou everyone who reviewed. I know this is short so I'll be posting Chapter 4 up soon Hope you all like it. **

**Chapter 3**

"Thanks for the meal" Emma said while I put her plate in the sink.

"Your welcome" I replied. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Shoot" Emma said.

"You know how you said before you came in to collect some weapon, and than it turned into a fight, one of the guys on your team shot electricity from his hands. What's with that?" I asked cautiously. I didn't have a clue how he could do that and he looked a little old to be a successful Manticore Project.

"Well, have you heard of people who are new mutants?" Emma asked. I just shook my head.

"New mutants are people who have special powers from a normal human being. There are four main types of new mutants. Feral, Molecular, Phyonic and Elemental. The guy you saw can shoot electricity from his hands and also boost himself with it." She said watching my reaction.

"How does one become a new mutant?" I asked with my natural expression plastered on my face. I had no idea that there were others that were different besides the Manticorians.

"That's a long story. Lets just say you can't catch it. Now can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Shoot" I said with a smile.

"Why were you really at the warehouse? And do you live here on your own because you're a little young to own an apartment?" she asked.

"The guys kidnapped me and I was escaping when I got caught up in the fight. And about living here, it's a long story." I said trying to get out of explaining my life.

"Do you know why they kidnapped you? How old are you anyway?" she asked. '_What is this, 20 question?_' I thought to myself.

"I'm 14." I replied. "And no I don't know why they wanted me. Are you a mutant too?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm an empathy. I can read peoples feelings." She said watching me.

"Cool" I said. Then there was silence. We both didn't know what to say next.

"How did you get me from the Warehouse to here?" Out of nowhere Emma piped up. I just smiled. I was about to explain, when I heard movement in the outside alleyway below. I shot up from the table and looked out the window and down into the alleyway. I enhanced my eyes and saw three people walking down the alleyway and into the building. It was Emma's' team mates. My instincts were telling me to run. I spun back around and grabbed my ready packed emergency backpack from the closet and then went into the bathroom for my pills.

"What's wrong, what are you doing?" Emma asked standing in the doorway. I knew I wouldn't have long. The elevator being stuck on this floor would slow them down and the lock on the 'stairs' door would too, but I knew it wouldn't hold them. I could hear them coming up the stairs. Emma grabbed hold of me as I was opening the window.

"What's wrong?" she asked again. I could hear them getting through the 'stairs' door and heading down the hallway.

"Your teammates are here to pick you up. I don't know how you signaled them, at the moment I don't really care. I have to go." I said with a hint of anger slipping through. There was a knock at the door. At that signal, I jumped out of the window, dropping 6 stories before I gracefully landed without much of a sound. I looked back up at my window before I ran off down the alleyway and around the corner. I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to my apartment for a while.

**Please Review even if you have before.**


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone who reviewd. This chpi is longer than the last. Hope you all like it. Please R&R. Thanks

Chapter 4

**Back in the apartment:**

Emma stood gazing out of the window when the door opened and in walked her teammates. Shalimar walked up to Emma and put a hand on her shoulder. This bought Emma out of her daze, for her to realize she had had her friends in the room with her. Emma turned around and gazed at them with an odd expression. Brennan was the first to speak up.

"It's great to see your alive Em. Where's your little friend Adam told us about?" He asked while giving her a hug when Shalimar had finished. All Emma could do was point out the window. Jesse went to the window and looked out. He saw nothing except and empty alleyway. Jesse turned back with raised eyebrows and a questioning look.

"Are you all right Emma? Maybe you should sit down." Jesse said. Brennan removed himself from the hug and gave Jesse a questioning look.

"She jumped out the window" Emma replied.

"Who jumped out? There is no-one down there." Jesse said still looking at her.

"Jay, the girl, she jumped out the window once she knew you were here. She landed just like Shalimar would if she jumped out and then took off running." Emma said.

"Maybe she's a feral" Shalimar piped up.

"No, she didn't even know what new mutants were. She even asked what Brennan was as if she had no idea that there were people like us, and she wasn't lying about not knowing. She even asked if I was a mutant, when I said what I could do she wasn't even afraid that she was caught out lying if she was." Emma said trying to understand it herself.

"Then why did she run?" Shalimar asked.

"I don't know, I just don't know." Emma said.

"Let's get you home and let Adam know what happened." Brennan said. They all turned and headed for the Double Helix.

**Meanwhile:**

I sat on the edge of the cliff looking out across the ocean. I was thinking about earlier and why my instincts told me to run. '_Emma didn't seem like a threat but since she is an empathy, she could have played with my feelings to make me feel safe around her. So why was I so scared about her teammates?_' I asked myself. '_Maybe it was because I'm afraid of anyone finding out who I really am._' I've always been afraid to show my true self. I've always been running and looking over my shoulder, to be a step ahead of Manticore. '_Why would my foster parents sell me off and what did the kidnappers want with me? They didn't know who I really was, and what was with that elf looking guy. Was he the leader of the pack or was he getting orders from someone higher up? It's time to get some answers starting with the number plate GOV-145_.' I thought.

It was about 2pm when I arrived at the local library. I hopped on a computer and cracked my fingers. '_Time for some hacking_.' I thought with a smile on my face. I used to be a pro hacker back at Manticore, and now it was time to put those skills to use. I let my fingers glide over the keyboard and within 2minutes I was in the governments' records for a list of their agents, criminals and car records. I typed in the number plate and hit search. '**Match**' beeped on the screen and showed that it was a government's car. Then I hacked into see who owned it or used it last.

"Marvin little" I said to myself reading the search results beside a picture of Elfy. I tried hard to keep the laugh inside. Finally Elfy had a name to put to his face and it sure did suit him.

"An agent in the mutant collection program. 2 years running. No slip-ups, and no home address." Damn, my plan for paying a visit to him will have to be put off for now.

"Second in Command in the unit. But no record of who his bosses are." '_Well that didn't get me very far_' I thought. '_What did he want me for. I wasn't a mutant. But then I know that. Maybe Tom my foster parent thought I was and wanted to get rid of me. Oh well. I think it's time to leave town again. Before I go I think I will pick up a few things from home and give Tom a bit of a scare_.' I thought with a smile creeping up on my face. I knew he wouldn't be home until about 4.30pm from the pub with his mates. It would give me plenty of time to pack my things and set up my surprise for him. I just hoped that Joan, my foster mother, would be out shopping or something. With a plan rolling in my head I exited the library and headed to the house with a very watchful eye on my surroundings to make sure Marvin Little wasn't on my tail.

**Back at sanctuary:**

"Ouch! Gees Adam that hurt." Emma yelped as Adam cleaned up Emma's cut.

"Oh don't be such a baby" Shalimar said smiling at her. Emma just grunted in reply. The doors whooshed open and Jesse and Brennan walked in coming to stand next to Adam.

"Well there were no matches to the description, age, and name you gave us Em in the mutant data base. Are use sure she didn't say anything about her last name, parents, school or anything else that could help?" Jesse asked looking at Emma directly in her eyes.

"No. Nothing that could help." Emma said. "Do we know why the Government kidnapped her?" Emma asked breaking the eye contact with Jesse to look at Adam.

"No, but we never did find out what their newly acquired weapon was so I'm thinking it was her, as you said, she wasn't a new mutant. What other reason would there be to kidnap her? Jesse, is there anyway you could hack into the Government's records to see if there were any transactions made by the mutant collection program in the last few days?" Adam asked trying to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. For what he knew the girl could still be in danger.

"Sure, no probs. Call you with any results I get." Jesse said leaving the room.

**Half an hour later:**

"Hey Adam, I think I might have something" Jesse said into his comm. ring.

"OK. Will be right there." Adam replied. Everyone gathered around the screen to see the results found.

"Two days ago there was a transaction to a Mr. Tom Mackey, $5,000 to be exact. He and his wife fostered a young 14 year old. Her name is Jay Foster. She has been living there for the past year. She was reported missing yesterday when she didn't come home from the shops but police didn't do anything, as it hadn't been 24 hours. I'm thinking they found out she was special and cashed her in, then covered their asses by reporting her missing." Jesse informed the group. "There is an address for the Mackey's house. It's on the North side of town."

"Ok Shal, Brennan, Jesse get over there now. She might be in trouble." Adam said giving the orders.

"I'm going too. Jay trusts me. If she ran because she was afraid of the others, then I might be the only one that can bring her in." Emma said.

"No. You stay here. You're injured and you're not up to fighting if the situation gets to that point." Adam informed her.

"But…" Emma tried to argue but Adam cut in.

"No buts, you're not going and that's final." Adam said in a demanding but soft voice. Emma started to walk off. She stopped by the hanger bay door and turned back to see if Adam was watching. Shalimar saw her and caught Adam's attention before he saw Emma. Emma smiled and turned into the hanger. She waited in the Double Helix for the others to come and fill her in. She knew she was going to get an ear bashing when she got back but she didn't care. She knew there was something different about Jay and wanted to be the one to bring her in as she already had gained her trust. The others joined her and Shal gave her an understanding smile while Jesse and Brennan knew they wouldn't be able to change Emma's mind now, so they went along with it.

"Thanks guys" Emma said as the Helix took off.

**Mackey's residence:**

I put the key in the backdoor and opened it. I stepped inside and listened. Nothing. No one was home. As suspected Tom would be at the pub and Joan was out somewhere. I walked upstairs and into my tiny room. I didn't really care for size as long as it was a room with a door. I opened my closet and folded the little clothes I had, then packed them in my backpack. With all my clothes packed, I gathered my more personal items such as Mp3 player that a past foster parent had given me, CD case with my CD's, Toiletries, a few books that I had either stolen or got given, matches, batteries, notebook and pencil case. I still had about a quarter of the bag free, which I would fill up by raiding the fridge and cupboards downstairs for food. I pulled out my pocketknife and knelt on the floor. I pushed the knife in one of the cracks of the floorboards and lifted it up so it popped the board out of its place. There underneath, was a small metal box with a lock. I took it out and replaced the floorboard. I opened the box and lifted out the most important possession that I owned. It was Connors dog tags that he had given me the night he died. I held it in my hand tight feeling close to my brother once again. I put Connors dog tags around my neck and then went thought the box making sure everything was there. Money I've saved or stolen over the years to get me by for either living on the streets or moving town to town. There was also my lock picking set, my torch that I hardly ever use, a few photos of friends I made and left behind over the years, and my dog tags. I looked at the tags and turned them over in my hand feeling the engraving of the numbers that I was. But beside the numbers was my real name that my brothers and sisters had given me. 'Faith' I could hear them say. I put them all back in the box and packed them in my bag. On the way out my room I grabbed my skateboard before heading down stairs.

Once I had packed a few packets of food and made some sandwiches and drinks for the road, I opened the fridge and smiled. On the third shelf down were Toms' bottles of beers. I took them out and lined them up on the sink and got out the toolbox from under the sink. Then I emptied them all down the drain and refilled them with either water, or lemon juice that he hated. I put the caps back on and fastened them with the pliers. I stocked the bottles back in the fridge and packed the toolbox away. '_He's gonna go whacko when he finds out what I've done_.' I thought with a chuckle. It was then that I heard the car pull up and Tom get out slamming the door behind him. I put my bag at the back door ready for a quick getta away if need be. I then, as quick as the human eye could see, ran back to the couch and picked up one of the many magazines from the table just as I heard the click of the door. He walked in, went down the hallway and strait to the fridge. I heard bottles clinging and then the sound of the fridge door shutting, then footsteps heading towards the living room, heading towards me. I heard him in the room and suddenly stop. I looked over the magazine hiding my smile. He stood in the doorway looking wide-eyed at me with a beer in his hand. Then it came.

"What the F#& are you doing here?" He yelled with his face growing redder by the rage boiling up inside him.

"Well, this is where I live." I said trying to sound innocent. I then went back to reading the magazine.

"Not anymore. I paid good money to get rid of you. Get out you mutant freak!" He yelled practically yelling inches from my face.

"One, I'm not a mutant. Two I'm not deaf and three, god do you need to have a chewy. You breath reeks." I said now getting in his face. I knew I was pushing him over the edge but I didn't care because if he laid another hand on me I wouldn't hesitate to take him out. I mean I was already leaving. Why not have some fun and give him something to remember me by. He grabbed my throat and pushed me against the wall. I hit it hard, but I just smiled. I heard people walking up to the door before he even noticed. He was about to say something when the doorbell rang. He turned his head towards the door and just stared as if his glare would make them go away. Then the doorbell rang again. He still had his hand around my neck, his grip tightening as if he didn't know what to do.

"Aren't you gonna get that" I said with my air supply running low. He snapped his head back to look at me and then through me across the room. I landed on the coffee table breaking it in half. He stormed to the door and flung it open with it hitting the wall hard.

"What the hell do you want?" He said trying to control his anger. I peered around the corner and saw who it was. It was Emma and one of her teammates. Before they noticed me I took off running to the back door. I flung my backpack on and then grabbed my skateboard. I opened the back door, went and jumped the fence and took off running down the street. I herd yelling behind me but I didn't turn around. I turned into the park that was just a block from the house. I could hear Emma and the guy she was with not far behind. I went into the more shrubbery filled part of the park to try to loose them but when I came out the other end I smacked into some guys chest. I fell backwards and fell to the ground flat on my ass. I was trying to scramble up when I felt him grab hold of me and pulled me to my feet.

"It's OK. I'm not going to hurt you." He said.

"I've heard that one before." I shot back trying to get out of his strong hold on me. My backpack and skateboard were making it difficult by getting in the way. I stopped struggling and his grip on me relaxed. With that, I twisted his arm behind his back and kicked his knees. He fell to the ground and I took off running again. That was a mistake. I heard him get up and then the crackle of electricity shoot from his hands into my back. I fell to the ground I was still conscious when he came over to me but it didn't take more then a few seconds before I was out. I didn't know why my body gave in, but it was most likely from either the electricity shot or my stitches breaking open again letting the warm blood flow from the wounds. Or even both. It didn't really matter, as I was out like a light.

Please Review.


	5. Chapter 5

  
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Hope you like this chapter. Sorry it took me so long. Enjoy. 

To: proud2Bfilipino: Not sure if it's going to be a romance or not yet.

Chapter 5 

**Sanctuary:**

I awoke to the sounds of people talking and the typing at of a computer. I listened closely for an idea of where I was. I could make out a males voice talking to a woman.

"…not a mutant. Her DNA structure is way more advanced than even the new mutants DNA." The guys voice said.

"But then how could she jump from the 6 floor of a building and not get hurt." This voice sounded like Emma's.

"Well, she has feline DNA as well as different forms of DNA that are not human. But she also has quite a bit of human DNA as well, so I'm thinking someone tampered with her DNA and made her this way. Her genetic makeup is very different from the normal human and to the new mutants." The unknown guy said. I snapped my eyes open and looked around. Emma and a man wee talking and looking at a computer screen. While they weren't looking I looked for an escape. '_They know too much. If they find out why I was made they would surely turn me over to Lydecker._' And there was no way I was going to let that happen. I got off of the laid back chair and made my way to a sliding door. It whooshed open and I ran out. I was halfway down the hallway when I felt the early tremors attack my body. '_No, this is no time to have a seizure_' I thought. I had to find my bag with my meds before it was too late. I turned the corner and came to an open area. I heard voices from around the next corner. I looked around for a hiding spot but there was nothing. There were footsteps getting closer. I looked up to see a second level. I sprang my knees and landed on the floor of the second level just as the footsteps turned the corner. I went to walk on to look for my bags but the seizure hit at full pelt. I fell to the floor convulsing. If I didn't get my pills soon I would be out of it for a while. I heard running feet and yelling but didn't take much notice. I was pulled into someone's body and held tight.

"Tryp…Tryptophan…my back…pack." I barely whispered out. Then someone held my head and the flashbacks came.

**Flashback:**

I was at Manticore again, before I had escaped. I was underwater holding my breath tied to the bottom of the tank. I looked to the side of me and Max and Connor were in the tank with me. This was just one of many experiments and training exercises we were put through. I looked through at the observation room where the scientists sat. The usual faces were there. But in the background there also stood Emma, watching in horror. She was yelling at the scientist but they didn't even notice her. I looked to the others to see if they could see her but something terrible happened. Connor started thrashing around trying to get out of the hold of the claw attaching him to the bottom of the tank. I bent over trying to pull open the claw to release him but it was too strong. Max tried pulling as well but it wouldn't budge. Then all of a sudden Connor stopped moving. I thought he was dead. I was still struggling to get him free when the claws opened and we were released. Max and I helped Connor to the surface. When he reached the surface he gasped for air. I looked up to see Lydecker holding a stopwatch in his right hand. He had a disappointed look on his face. I looked behind him and Emma was standing there.

**End Flashback:**

I was still shaking violently. I hadn't had a seizure this bad in awhile. Someone opened my mouth and put some tablets in my mouth. I swallowed easily knowing they were my meds and felt relieved that it will soon pass. I closed my eyes tight trying not to focus on the pain. Then another flashback hit.

**Flashback:**

I was outside in the snow running. I remembered having this flashback only this morning. It all seemed the same but it was different, I could feel another presence besides Connor running just behind me. It was as if it wasn't just me watching my memory play in my head.

We got to the perimeter fence and jumped up onto it scaling our way up and over. I could hear the choppers and the snowmobiles getting closer looking for us. We didn't stop to hide or turn and fight, we just kept running. I think that was a mistake now because what happened next would never stop haunting me for the rest of my life. They were closing in on us, I could hear them and smell them. Then they started shooting. I felt them whirl right past me but none hit. None hit me but my brother wasn't so lucky. I knew once he fell he had been shot. I turned around and attacked the soldiers. They were all unconscious or dead within seconds but I didn't stop to look. I ran to my older brother, my protector, and my best friend. He lay limp in my arms staring at me with wide eyes. Then he smiled.

"I'm free", he said

"Please get up, we have to go. They're coming", I said with tears in my eyes. I looked up to see Emma standing beside a tree looking on in horror.

"Don't worry, the blue lady will protect me. I'm dying free. I love you sis. I love you Faith", he said. He then pulled off his dog tags and put them in my hand and closed my fingers around them.

"Now go", he said with pleading eyes.

"I won't leave you, I will fight them off", I said with tears streaming down my face.

"Leave me, I will be fine. Now go," he said, "Never forget me". With that he closed his eyes and took his last breath. I didn't want to leave him there but the soldiers were coming and I didn't want to go back. I stood up with his dog tags in my hands.

"I love you Connor. I will never forget you," I said. Taking one last look at my fallen brother I took of running.

**End Flashback:**

My shakes subdued to just a few tremors. I looked up to see the guy from the park holding me, and Emma holding my head. She had tears in her eyes and a look of horror and pain expression on her face. I passed out from exhaustion from the emotional and physical pain.

**A few hours later:**

I awoke to the feeling of someone holding my hand. I opened my eyes carefully to see Emma sitting next to me holding my hand fast asleep. I felt someone touch my shoulder and I jumped.

"It's OK." He said looking me in the eye and smiling.

"My name is Adam Kane. You are Jay foster correct?" he asked. I nodded my head in reply not too sure what else to do. I had never awoken before with someone holding my hand asleep. Emma stirred and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times and then smiled at me.

"Hey. How are you felling?" she asked while sitting up in her chair.

"Fine" I replied.

"Are you hungry? I am. Do you want a bite to eat?" Emma asked. I just nodded.

"While we grab something I'll show you around Sanctuary." She said getting to her feet. I sat up and was about to get up when Adam stopped me.

"Are you sure your OK? That was a nasty seizure you had." He asked.

"I'm fine. I just need something to eat and a glass of milk and Ill be back to my normal self." I said standing up.

"OK then, just take it easy." He said before turning and going over to his computer. I followed Emma out of the Lab and she showed me around. It was a very beautiful place to live in. She led me to the kitchen where a woman and two guys were cooking a meal. They all looked up as we entered.

"Jay this is Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse. They are my teammates I told you about." She said pointing to each person with each name.

"Hi." I said, still not sure if they could be trusted or not.

"We were just about to sit down and eat some dinner if you wanted to join us" Shalimar said. As if on cue my stomach growled. They just looked at me and smiled.

"That would be great thanks." I said.

Adam came out and joined us for dinner. Emma handed me a glass of milk while the others had water. It was a pretty quiet meal with no one really knowing what to say. While the others washed up Emma and I sat on the couch to talk.

"Can I ask you something?" Emma asked. This sounded like our previous chat back at the apartment.

"Shoot" I said giving her a smile.

"While you were having the seizure, I tapped in to your subconscious and saw everything that you saw. They were memories of your past weren't they." She asked looking me in the eye waiting for an answer.

"Yes" I said, simple and short.

"If you don't mind me asking, where was the memory held? What was that place?" She asked trying not to sound too pushy.

"They were at my childhood home." I stated simply.

"You know you can trust me. I won't let anyone hurt you like that again." She said. For some odd reason, I felt like I could trust her. But I didn't feel ready to tell her the whole story. I haven't been able to trust anyone in my life except for my brothers and sisters.

"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep," I said trying to hold back the memories and emotions building up inside of me.

"We could give you a new name and a new place to live. You will be safe from whoever is looking for you." Emma said looking into my eyes.

"Been there and done that. I am better off on my own. Thank you for helping me at the warehouse but I think it's time to move on…" I tried to explain but Emma cut in.

"Please. Talk to me on what happened. Not just the guys from the warehouse but what happened in your childhood. What did they want you from you?"

"The guys were just looking for a pay out and you don't need to know what happened to me. Thanks for everything but I will now be going." I said. With that I stood and started to walk off to go and find my things. Emma ran up beside me.

"You don't have to run anymore. You can have a proper home with a real family. You don't have to go through life alone…" Emma said trying to persuade me.

"I have a real family and my home is wherever I am at the time. You have no idea what it's like to be me, or what I've been through. You have no right to tell me what I should do. You are not my parent." I said with anger seeping through in my words.

"You are right. I don't know what you have been through, but you can tell me to make me understand. I want to know what happened to you and whom you are running from and why they killed your brother. Please talk to me Jay. Make me understand." Emma said with tears welled up in her eyes. Her saying about my brother stunned me for a minute before I could respond.

"Why do you care so much?" I asked. I haven't told anyone of my past before. I was so confused as to why she would care so much on what would and had happened to me. I didn't know what to do. My mind was debating with it's self on whether I should tell my life's darkest secrets or to just run like I always do.

"Because I want to understand. I want to get to know you. I want to help you as you had helped me. I care because I'm not totally human either and have had my share of running, and when I finally told someone on what had happened and who I am, I felt as if I could stop running and start living. I want you to be able to do that as well." She said holding my hands and looking deep into my eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I've known you for what, a day? I haven't been able to trust someone in a very long time." I said. "I'm kind of tired. If you don't mind I think I'll take a nap." I said giving her a small smile.

"I know it's hard, maybe tomorrow we can go out shopping and we can get to know each other. Now sleep, it's late." Emma replied leading me over to the couch. She put a pillow down. I lied down and closed my eyes. I don't normally sleep but tonight my body needed to rest. I felt a heavy blanket drape over me and the light turned out.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm Sooooo sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. Been busy over the Christmas holidays and hadn't had a chance to write. Add that with a dose of writers block and you guys have had a long wait for this chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who is reading this story. Hope I get the next chapter up sooner. Enjoy. Please, Pretty please review. Anything will bring a smile to my face. Thanks. ) Chapter 6 

"Hey Adam" Emma said softly walking into his lab.

"Did she tell you anything?" Adam asked turning from his computer to face her.

"No, nothing about her childhood. All she really said was those guys at the warehouse had only been looking for a payout, whatever she meant by that I'm not sure." Emma said with a sigh. "I just wish she could trust me enough to tell me what she is running from."

"You look tired. How about you get some sleep and we'll continue this conversation in the morning?" Adam said walking over to Emma and pulling her into a hug. After a short while they pulled apart.

"Night Adam" she said and turned and left the lab heading for her room.

**Dreamscape:** Both Emma and Jay connected in the same dream.

Dark halls surrounded her. The young child with a shaved haircut sneaked down the hallway looking over her shoulder every so often to make sure that her sister was just behind. They reached the opened door at the end of the hall and she peered in cautiously not wanting to draw attention to herself. Her sister came up behind her and peered over her shoulder. They both watched as the scientists and doctors prepared their still brother ready for harvesting. The noise of a saw was heard to the two young ears and would haunt them for the rest of their lives, as what came next was the horror of seeing their brother being cut open with the scientist's instruments. She felt her sister tug on her shoulder, warning her to be still. She looked around carefully and spotted the reason for her sisters warning. Their mentor, father figure was watching the scene that was playing before their eyes. He stood their watching the scientists poking around in her brothers' body and all he did was sip at his coffee. Another tug was felt on her sleeve and the scene changed to a young girl strapped to a chair. Her huge blue eyes staring wide as if she was staring the monster in the closet in the face. A red laser light was flowing into her right eye and repeating the numbers 332960073454 over and over again. The scene changed again to a class of young kids, all in the same clothing and had the same buzz haircut, all repeating self-defence movements with the same smooth movement as if it was second nature to them. Then it changed to the group of kids were stealthily moving down a dark hallway at night. The leader holding a gun, ready to protect her pack if she needed to. Halfway down the hall, the kids stopped as the soldiers ahead of them held their guns and shone their flashlights into the group of small children. All of a sudden a shot was heard and the young girl holding the gun fell to the ground.

End Dream 

Both Emma and Jay woke up sweating and panting. Emma had a slight idea who she was connected to in the dream and Jay was well aware what she had dreamt about. Her past had haunted her in her dreams and her flashbacks with her seizures. I sat up and rubbed her head. 'Damn, that is why I always hate to sleep. Besides not needing sleep' I thought to myself. 'I need some fresh air and to burn some energy' I thought. I got up and put my shoes on. I had no idea how to get out of the place and the halls were dark as everyone was sleeping except for one. It was a small glow coming from the end hallway. I crept stealthily towards it and came to the doors leading to the lab. I took another step and the doors whooshed open. If there was someone inside they would have heard the doors so with only a slight hesitation I walked into the lab. In front of a lone computer screen stood Adam engrossed in his work. I snuck over and peered over his shoulder. On the screen was the DNA results and a 3D view of a strand of DNA. I took a closer look at whose it was to find whom he was so intrigued with at 3am in the morning. On the top left hand corner read:

**Name:** Jay Foster.

**Age:** 14

**Gender:** Female

**History: **Unknown.

**Results:** DNA structure shows that of part human, part feline, and part shark.

Stem cells count: high above average.

Blood type: O negative.

Bone structure is denser than normal and shows evidence of long-term abuse.

Brain activity: higher than normal.

Heart………………….

I couldn't believe it. This was me he was reading about. It basically told him that I was inhuman, that I was genetically engineered, that I was made and not born. This was my biggest fear come to life, for someone, a scientist, to know the truth about me. I had to get out and as far away as I could. I had to disappear again. But first I need to get rid of all the information about me in his files and blood he had taken. I looked around at the lab trying to find where he kept my blood sample. There was a small fridge in the corner of the room. I snuck over quietly and searched through the fridge and found my blood sample in the back. As I pulled it out it made a clunking sound on the way out as it knocked the other samples. I closed the fridge door and turned around to have Adam standing right in front of me with his arms crossed and a frown upon his face.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a confused expression on his face. I didn't answer. I just lifted my arm that I was holding my blood sample with and brung it down to have the sample smash onto the floor. With the blood spilt on the floor I blurred over to the computer, which Adam was using and typed as fast as I could to delete any information he had about me. Just as I finished, Adam grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

"What do you think you are doing? What did you just do to the computer?" Adam asked. I just turned and started to walk away when he grabbed my shoulder again. He opened his mouth ready to speak when the door to the right slid open. Emma walked in with a panicked expression on her face. She stopped when she saw that Adam was angry and had his hand gripped to my shoulder.

"What's going on in here?" she asked.

"She just smashed a blood sample on the ground and did something to my computer and won't even tell me why." Adam said with anger present in his voice. I tried to struggle away but he held on tight. I knew I could take him out in 10 seconds or less but I hated to show that side of me, especially since he knew my physical work up he could easily put two and two together to find out what I truly was. Adam turned around and started typing on his computer. As suddenly he started he had stopped and turned to face me again.

"You deleted some files on the computer. Why?" he asked.

"You kidnapped me and ran tests on me without my knowledge and you expect me to trust you?" I turned back to face Emma and asked, "I trusted you and you go behind my back to get what you wanted. I destroyed the evidence of my testing and I am now leaving. You will never see me again." I walked right by them and out the door in search of my bag.

'_How could you have ever trusted them? I'm getting soft. I can't rely on other people. I always get hurt and betrayed when I do. Gee I'm so stupid. I gotta get out of here and as far away as possible. If only I could find my bag.'_ I cursed myself. I search the upstairs floor for my bag when I hear footsteps coming up behind me. But it is two people. Take a guess who. I keep searching and ignore them. I keep looking around until I get fed up with them trying to talk to me.

I turn around and ask "Where is my bag?" I say as calmly as I can.

"Listen, I didn't mean to go behind your back. I was just making sure you were fine when we brought you here. Then what the scan showed I got curious as to why…" Adam was explaining before I cut him off.

"Where is my bag?" I ask again.

"Can't we just talk about this? I know your upset but…" again I cut him off.

"All I want is my bag back and to leave. You are not going to hold me here any longer." I say. My patience was wearing thin.

"Here" Emma says handing me my bag that she pulled from a cupboard.

"Thankyou. Now where is the nearest exit and I'll be on my way." I say putting my bag down and searching through it to make sure nothing was missing.

"The nearest town is about 30km from here. If you wait until morning I can drive you." Emma says.

"That's OK. I can walk." I say putting my things back into my bag.

"Why can't we just talk? Please just let us sit down and talk about why we brang you here." Emma said grabbing my hand to stop me from repacking my bag.

"I don't need to know. All I want to do is get out of here, or am I being held here?" I asked.

"No you are not being held here. We bought you here to be safe until things died down. Those people who are after you are working for the government and will stop at nothing until they get their hands on you." Adam said from behind me.

"I know." I said under my breath. I could feel the anger build up inside of me. _'Great, more people hunting for me'._ I felt around my neck for Connor's and my dog tags. Sure enough they were there. I took them out from under my shirt and fingered Connor's name that he had engraved with a piece of scrap metal on the back. It had always calmed me down feeling him close to me even though he was so far away. I stood still holding onto the dog tags and put my backpack on. I stood up and walked down the stairs to be confronted by more people. Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse stopped in front of me with confusion written all over their faces. _'I'm never going to get out of here'_ I thought to myself.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Shalimar asked with a very cat like yawn.

"We were just trying to explain to our **guest** here why we brought her to sanctuary." Adam said not taking his eyes off of me while walking down the stairs.

"And your **guest** is just leaving." I shot back staring him down. "If you could point to the nearest exit I'll be on my way." I said still holding his gaze.

"Where will you go? You were running away from your home when we picked you up." Emma said in her most calming voice.

"I will go anywhere but here. It doesn't really matter. I will just go wherever I end up; maybe I will find someone who I can actually trust, who wont go behind my back." I shot out at Adam. I flung around to face the others breaking eye contact, my long brown hair flying around with the movement unknowingly reveling my barcode tattoo on the back of my neck to Adam. I heard a gasp from Adam and a single word he said under his breath, the single word that I would hate for eternity, the word that was my childhood home.

"Manticore" he said. Even though it was barely a whisper I caught it with my hyped up hearing. I flung my bag off my back and pinned Adam against the nearest wall in one fluid motion, my hand around his neck cutting off his air supply.

"I will never go back. I would rather die first rather than go back to that hell hole." I spoke to him with venom dripping from my words. I felt a hand grab me from behind and spin me around. I could have stopped it from happening but I was too dazed from hearing my nightmares name that I didn't even see the fist come flying towards my head. All I felt was it connecting with my skull as a burst of pain exploded within. Then the darkness took me over.


	7. Chapter 7 Trust?

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Authors Note: I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but a very close family member died and I haven't been able to write anything until recently. Hopefully things will settle down enough so I can keep writing. Hope you like this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: Trust?

"What was that all about, Adam?" Emma asked peering down at the girl that lay unconscious on the bed, a small bruise forming on her left side of her jaw. Her hands were bound to the chair as a precaution. Adam stands to the other side of Jay as if in deep thought. Although it always seems he's in deep thought. He lifts Jay's head up and pushes away her hair so Brennan, Jesse, Shal and I could see what he saw earlier on that morning. On her lower neck was a tattoo of a barcode.

"What does a barcode tattoo have to do with anything?" asked Brennan.

"Everything." Replied Adam. "I took another blood sample to make sure of what I found. I understand now why she was so upset and afraid of being tested on. She's not a new mutant." Adam stated simply. He walked over to the computer and pulled up the test results. "When I had just started working for Genomex, Eckard had a meeting with a guy named Donald Lydecker. He said he worked for the government on genetics and wanted me to go and work for him. I turned it down as I thought I belonged at Genomex. After he left I did some research into the organization 'Manticore' he said he worked for. I couldn't find out much but I did find a report on an experiment they had done. It had said that they were trying to make a prototype soldier but it had failed. I saw a picture of the experiment. It didn't even look human. It looked like half giant canine dog half human, and it had a barcode on its neck in the same place as Jay's." Adam finished explaining. He looked around at his teammates expressions. They all had confusion running over their faces among with other emotions such as sadness, horror, and anger. Shalimar was the first to break the silence.

"So your saying that they meant to make the experiment the way it was?" she asked taking her eyes off Jay and looking at Adam.

"I'm not quite sure. But from what I read, it seemed as if it was intentional." Adam replied.

"Does the barcode on Jay's neck mean that she was an experiment as well?" Jesse asked.

"Most likely. The thing is that from the picture I saw on the computer compared to Jay, I would have never of believed that she was from there without the evidence, and I'm still not 100 sure. I suppose we'll just have to ask her when she wakes up." Adam replied.

"I can't see that going down well. You only just mentioned the name of the place and she freaked out. I wouldn't get too close if you're trying to have a conversation about it." Said Brennan.

"Wouldn't you be scared if you were taken by a bunch of strangers to their hideout and be tested on without you knowing, then they want to know what your running from? It would be like being taken to Genomex." Emma said with a hint of anger in her voice. "From what I've seen from her memories it was as if she was living in an army camp/ prison. I saw her strapped to the bottom of a tank of water for minutes on end. Her brother nearly drowned and the scientists just watched on. I saw her strapped to a table and being tested and tortured on. They trained her and her brothers and sisters to be soldiers at a very young age. I saw them try to escape and someone shot her sister, then she was running with her brother trying to escape the facility and the soldiers shot her brother. She's lived in hell to escape to a world unknown to her. To a place where she always has someone hunting her down, and we took her and tested on her and reviled her deepest secret. I think I would be terrified if I was in her position right now." Emma said with her voice rising at the end. She had felt the pain, the anxiety and her being scared from Adam speaking one word to Jay. It had flooded from Jay and washed over Emma, sending her all the emotions she had felt. That one word made Jay feel as if she was trapped again, as if that all her running had been for nothing, and once Jay was unconscious, Emma was left with a really big headache.

"I'm going to meditate. Call me when she wakes up." Emma said before she turned and left without another glance back at her teammates.

"Is there anything else we need to know Adam? I was thinking of trying to get the security footage from the warehouse to see if it gives us any more leads on why those guys were after her." Jesse said.

"Nothing for the moment, but I'll keep you updated." Adam said still deep in thought.

With that, Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse left to look for some clues on the mysterious girl and the people after her.

**Approximately 45 minutes later:**

Adam was still looking over the results of Jay's workup when Emma walked in.

"Has she woken up yet?" Emma asked.

"No not yet. Do you mind watching over her for a while? Jesse has some video footage for me to look at." Adam asked turning to her and looking her over. He was worried that she was still upset about how everything was happening.

"That's fine. I was going to stick around anyway." Emma said, pulling up a seat beside Jay.

"Okay, I'll be back soon" Adam said as he walked out of the lab.

Emma turned her head to make sure Adam was gone before she lent down and whispered into my ear.

"I know you're awake. I can feel you're scared, and angry, but you don't have to be. I promise that I won't let anyone take you back there, no matter what. You can trust me, and I know that it's not easy to trust someone with what you've been through, but I promise that I'll be here for you. I won't abandon you, and I'll try to help you find the others, your brothers and sisters. I know that what you want. I can feel your longing for them." Emma said taking my hand in hers and letting me know it was all the truth. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at her.

"The question isn't if I trust you, it is if you trust me." I said. I was hoping she could trust me even though she knew what I was and had seen a lot of what I had done.

"Of course I trust you. After all you did save my life." She said with a smile.

"But do you trust my actions? I know that you know that I am different from you and humans, that I was made and not born, and I know you've seen some of the things I have done. That I can…" but before I could finish, Emma released the bounds that were holding me in place.

"I suppose that's a yes?" I asked. She smiled at me.

"Yes that's a yes. But you didn't answer my question. Do you trust me?" she asked looking a bit nervous for my answer. I sat up and stood in front of her. Then I did something that surprised her and myself. I pulled her into a hug. I finally found someone who didn't judge me for what I was but who I was, who knew part of my past and trusted me. Emma was one of the closest people to being one of my real sisters. After a minute of hugging, my stomach growled Then I realized that I hadn't eaten since Tea last night and now it was mid afternoon. Emma and I separated and she looked at me with tears in her eyes and a huge smile that sparkled in her eyes.

"Let's get something to eat." She said taking my hand and leading me towards the kitchen.

**Meanwhile:**

"Hey guy's" Adam said addressing Shal, Brennan and Jesse.

"How's Jay doing? Has she woken up yet?" Shalimar asked with worry written all over her face.

"Not yet. Her scans and tests came back the same as before. She is not a new mutant, but she isn't totally human either." Adam said. "So, what did you want me to see?"

"I recovered video surveillance from the warehouse. You should have a look. I also pulled a picture from the surveillance of who was holding Jay. I ran it though the GSA database and it came up with a hit." Jesse said as he pulled up the photo from the surveillance and the results from the database.

"His name is Marvin Little. He is an agent from the mutant collection program and has been for two years straight. Nothing else on him that helps, but I did find some security footage that is interesting." Jesse said as he brang up the security footage. "There was no camera inside the room they were holding her, but there was one in the hallway outside."

The footage showed Marvin Little and a heavily muscled guy wearing all black open the steel door and walk in. Jesse paused the footage and zoomed in on the picture inside the room. There was Jay, bound to a chair in the middle of the room.

"So we know they had her bound to a chair. What does that have to do with anything?" Brennan said.

"Wait, There's more" Jesse replied. He played the footage. Marvin and the muscle guy walked into the room and closed the door. Jesse fast-forwarded to the interesting part. Soldiers started running past the room and Marvin opened the door. Jesse paused the footage again and zoomed in. The picture clearly showed Jay was still bound to the chair, and the muscle guy was on his back, was under the chair Jay was sitting on.

"It gets better" Jesse said and played the footage again to see Marvin close the door and hurry off to the left of the screen. Jesse fast-forwarded again until he got to what he was looking for. He played the footage to a soldier opening the door to the holding room. Jay stood there and smiled at the soldier, said something and then with a quick punch to the stomach and a knee to the groin brought the soldier to bend over. Jay then finished him off with a chop to the neck and the soldier fell to the ground. Jay flipped over the soldier and was out the door. She looked each way before turning and running left down the hallway.

Jesse stopped the tape and looked at his teammates.

"I definitely won't be standing in her way again." Brennan said with a pained look on his face.

"I can't wait to spar with her." Shalimar said with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. They all turned to look at Adam to see what he had to say.

"It doesn't confirm anything but she was definitely trained. I'll just have to ask her when she wakes up, who I should be getting back to. Well done Jesse." Adam said before he walked off, heading back to the lab.

**In the kitchen:**

Emma and I were cooking some lunch while we played 20 questions.

"Question 1: what's your favorite colour?" Emma asked.

"Umm. I don't really have one." I answered.

"Oh come on you have to have one. Mines Purple because it's a very calming colour to me." Emma said while stirring the Pancake mixture.

I had never really thought about what my favorite colour was before, but now that I think of it, most colours remind me of Manticore. Like gray, the colour of the walls and our nightgowns, Green of our camouflage uniform, Red of the colour of our split blood, but one thing that always calmed me was seeing a bird flying in the sky, so free, what I always wanted to be. So…

"Blue would be my favorite colour." I said some time after the question had been said.

"Question 2: Favorite food? Mines chocolate." Emma said pouring the mixture into the hot pan.

I always hated the food back at Manticore. We would have to eat the same things every week. Most of the time we didn't know what some of the food was, But when I got out in one of the first homes I went to, one of the good ones, they gave me a cold dessert. They called it ice cream. I didn't know you were supposed to eat it in small spoonfuls at a time. Once I learnt how to eat it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I smiled at the memory of Sue and Gavin (Foster Parents) laughing at the face I pulled.

"Ice cream" I replied while flipping the pancake over.

"Mmmm. That would be my second favourite. Question 3: Ummm…" Emma said trying to think of a question.

"Did you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked.

"No, I am an only child. But I consider Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse to be like brothers and sister to me. Shalimar and I sometimes go out shopping and talk and do all that girly stuff, and the boys, they are very protective of me and look out for me. We also muck around and get ourselves in trouble with Adam. Sometimes Shal and I would pull pranks on them. But most of all, I love them like they were my brothers and sister." Emma said, pausing her movements in putting more mixture in the pan. She looked at me questionly, not knowing whether to ask or not.

"We started out as a unit. There were 24 of us. As the years went on we became closer than just a unit. We became a family. We didn't know what a family really was, but we over heard the guards and trainers talking often of their families. Our unit became closer and closer as some of the unit died or was taken away. We gave each other names, Ben would tell us stories and some of us that couldn't sleep at night would huddle on one of the cots and just talk. We became a family of brothers and sisters. We loved each other. By the time we escaped, there were only 17 of us. I don't know how many made it out or if I'm the only one who made it." I said stacking the pancakes onto plates.

"And what about your name. Is it Jay or Faith?" She asked while setting the table.

I was surprised that she knew my real name, and wondered how she knew my real name. I was about to ask when I heard a voice coming from Emma's ring.

"Emma? Are you O.K?" I realized that it was Adam's voice asking Emma.

"Adam I'm fine, Jay and I are just getting some lunch. It's ready if you want some." Emma said back to him.

"You let her out?" Adam asked in disbelief. Emma's face then turned from calm to angry at his comment.

"Adam, she is not an animal. She is a human being with special gifts, like us." Emma said back to Adam in a sturn voice.

"She is nothing like you Emma. You don't know what she is capable of." I was shocked at what I was hearing. What did he really know about me?

"Adam, I think I know her better than you and if you want to talk about this further, do it when she is not standing right next to me and can hear everything your saying. Now, Jay and I are having some lunch, you are welcome to join us if you do not discuss this any further. You too guys, Lunch is ready." Emma said, than turned the ring to turn it off. She looked at me with an apologetic face.

"Thanks" was all I said before I turned and sat down ready for lunch.

**

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Authors Note: Thanks for reading and please, pretty please review so I know whether to continue on or not. Any comments will be helpful, even criticism. Thanks for all the support so far.**


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